Along the winding banks of the Irrawaddy River, where water lilies floated like scattered jade ornaments and bamboo groves whispered secrets to the breeze, two otters made their home. The river was generous, teeming with fish that flashed silver beneath the surface, and the otters had always been content, swimming and hunting in the cool waters that sustained their village and all the creatures along its shores.
One golden morning, when mist still clung to the water like silk scarves and the sun was just beginning to paint the sky in shades of saffron and rose, both otters dove into the river at precisely the same moment. They were experienced hunters, sleek and swift, and their whiskers twitched with anticipation as they glided through the current.
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Then they saw it a fish unlike any they had encountered before. It was magnificent, large as a small dog, with scales that gleamed like polished bronze in the filtered sunlight. Its flesh would be sweet and plentiful, enough to fill their bellies for days. Both otters’ hearts leaped with excitement, and without thinking, they lunged forward together.
Their paws closed on the fish at exactly the same instant. The creature thrashed once, twice, then fell still, caught firmly in their combined grip. The otters surfaced, sputtering and triumphant, dragging their prize onto the muddy riverbank where reeds grew tall and dragonflies hovered like tiny, jeweled helicopters.
“Ah, what a catch!” exclaimed the first otter, shaking water from his thick fur. “This fish is mine I saw it first and my teeth reached it before yours!”
“Yours?” The second otter’s eyes widened with indignation. “How dare you make such a claim! My paws were the first to touch its belly. This fish belongs to me!”
“You are mistaken, brother,” said the first otter, his voice rising with heat. “I dove deeper and faster. Without my skill, this fish would still be swimming free!”
“Skill?” The second otter bristled, his tail slapping the wet earth. “It was my keen eyes that spotted the shadow in the water. You would have missed it entirely if not for me!”
Back and forth they argued, their voices growing louder and more bitter with each exchange. The sun climbed higher in the sky, burning away the morning mist, yet still the otters quarreled. Neither would yield. Neither would compromise. The beautiful fish lay between them, flies beginning to circle its glistening body, while the two hunters glared at each other with narrowed eyes and bared teeth.
“Perhaps we should divide it down the middle,” suggested the first otter, though his tone remained suspicious.
“But how do we know the halves will be equal?” countered the second. “You might take the larger piece and claim it was fair!”
“I could say the same of you!” snapped the first otter. “Your greed blinds you to reason!”
Their argument grew so heated that they didn’t notice when an ancient turtle emerged from the river, water streaming from his weathered shell like a thousand tiny waterfalls. He was old, older than the oldest teak tree in the forest, or so the river creatures claimed. His shell bore the marks of many seasons, and his eyes held the patience of one who had witnessed countless sunrises and moonsets.
“Why do you quarrel so loudly, young ones?” the turtle asked, his voice deep and gentle as the river’s current. “Your voices disturb the peace of the water and trouble the fish who remain below.”
Both otters began speaking at once, each trying to explain their rightful claim to the fish, each certain that justice was on their side. The turtle listened without interrupting, his ancient head nodding slowly, his expression calm as still water.
When at last they fell silent, exhausted by their own arguments, the turtle spoke. “I see your dilemma, and it seems you have forgotten something important in your haste to claim ownership.”
“What have we forgotten?” asked the first otter.
“You have forgotten that you caught this fish together,” the turtle said simply. “Neither of you could have captured such a prize alone. This fish is the fruit of cooperation, not competition.”
The otters looked at each other, then at the fish, then back at the wise turtle.
“But how can we share it fairly?” asked the second otter, his anger beginning to cool like river stones in the shade.
The turtle smiled, the wrinkles around his eyes deepening like ripples on water. “Divide the fish into three portions head, body, and tail. One of you takes the head, rich with flavorful meat. The other takes the tail, strong and substantial. And the body, the largest portion, you share equally between you, eating together as friends should.”
At first, the otters hesitated, their pride making them resistant. But hunger gnawed at their bellies, and the turtle’s words carried the weight of truth. Reluctantly, they agreed to try his method.
Using their sharp teeth and clever paws, they divided the fish as the turtle suggested. The first otter claimed the head, the second took the tail, and they carefully split the body into two generous portions. When they sat down to eat, their anger melted away like morning frost under sunlight.
To their amazement, both otters found themselves with more fish than they had imagined possible. The head was meaty and rich, the tail was full and satisfying, and each half of the body was a feast in itself. They ate slowly, savoring each bite, and as their bellies filled, their hearts filled too with gratitude, with shame at their foolish quarrel, and with appreciation for each other’s friendship.
“Thank you, wise turtle,” they called out, their mouths still full. “Your counsel has not only fed our bodies but taught our hearts!”
The ancient turtle nodded from his place by the water’s edge. “Remember this lesson, young ones. What you gain through cooperation will always be greater than what you seize through conflict. The river is wide enough for all who swim in it, and the world is generous to those who choose to share.”
With that, the turtle slipped back into the Irrawaddy’s welcoming waters, leaving barely a ripple behind. The two otters finished their meal in companionable silence, their earlier quarrel forgotten. From that day forward, whenever they caught fish together and they caught many they shared their harvest with joy and gratitude, remembering the wisdom of the ancient turtle who taught them that friendship was worth more than the finest catch in all the river.
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The Moral of the Story
This timeless Burmese fable teaches that cooperation and fair sharing lead to better outcomes than conflict and selfishness. When the two otters stopped fighting over ownership and worked together to divide their catch fairly, both received more than they had expected. The story reminds us that working with others, rather than against them, creates abundance for everyone. In Burmese culture, this wisdom reflects Buddhist principles of harmony, right action, and the understanding that all beings are interconnected, and that generosity multiplies rather than diminishes what we have.
Knowledge Check
Q1: Who are the main characters in the Burmese fable “Two Otters and a Fish”?
A: The main characters are two otters who hunt together in the Irrawaddy River, and a wise ancient turtle who helps them resolve their conflict over a large fish they caught together.
Q2: What causes the conflict between the two otters?
A: The conflict arises when both otters catch a magnificent large fish at the same moment and immediately begin arguing over who deserves ownership, with each claiming they saw it first or contributed more to catching it.
Q3: What does the wise turtle symbolize in this Burmese tale?
A: The turtle symbolizes wisdom, patience, and fair judgment. His ancient nature represents accumulated knowledge and his calm intervention demonstrates how impartial wisdom can resolve conflicts and restore harmony.
Q4: How does the turtle suggest the otters divide the fish?
A: The turtle proposes dividing the fish into three portions head, body, and tail. One otter receives the head, the other gets the tail, and they share the body equally, ensuring both receive generous portions through fair cooperation.
Q5: What is the central moral lesson of this Burmese animal fable?
A: The story teaches that cooperation yields better results than conflict. When the otters stopped fighting and worked together to share fairly, both received more than they expected, demonstrating that harmony and sharing create abundance.
Q6: What cultural values does this story reflect about Burmese society?
A: The tale reflects Buddhist values of harmony, right action, fair dealing, and interconnectedness. It emphasizes that generosity and cooperation benefit everyone, while selfishness and conflict lead to waste and missed opportunities.
Source: Adapted from Folklore and Fairy Tales from Burma
Cultural Origin: Burmese (Myanmar)
